The prominent surname Rector was first found in England in the 16th century but traced its early origin to the country of France. Rector was originally associated with the Huguenots, many of whom left France in the 16th and 17th centuries, in order to escape religious persecution. England, which was a Protestant country, was thought to be more accepting of religious differences.

Rector Early Origins

The surname Rector was first found in Kent where this Huguenot family, originally Ricquart or Ricard, migrated to the west and settled at Combe in the county of Hereford. We would be remiss is we did not pass along this quote: "About 1620, one Ricketts of Newberry, a practitioner in physick, was excellent at curing of children with swoln heads and small legges; and the disease being new, and without a name, he being so famous for the cure of it, they called the disease the ricketts; as the King's evill from the King's curing of it with his touch; and now 'tis good sport to see how they vex their lexicons, and fetch it from the Greek Paxc, the back-bone." [1]CITATION[CLOSE]Lowe, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print. The source goes on to note that the disease was give name by Dr. Glisson on the first appearance of the disease. Dr. Glisson was a contemporary of and probably knew Mr. Ricketts.

Rector Spelling Variations

Rector Spelling Variations

Huguenot surnames were only slightly Anglicized, and they remain to this day a distinct group of surnames in England. Nevertheless, Huguenot surnames have been subject to numerous spelling alterations since the names emerged in France. French surnames have a variety of spelling variations because the French language has changed drastically over the centuries. French was developed from the vernacular Latin of the Roman Empire. It is divided into three historic and linguistic periods: Old French, which developed before the 14th century; Middle French, which was used between the 14th and 16th centuries; and Modern French, which was used after the 16th century and continues to be in use today. In all of these periods, the French language was heavily influenced by other languages. For example, Old French was infused with Germanic words and sounds when the barbarian tribes invaded and settled in France after the fall of the Roman Empire. Middle French also borrowed heavily from the Italian language during the Renaissance. Huguenot names have numerous variations. The name may be spelled Ricket, Rickett, Reckitt, Ricketts, Reckitts and others.

Rector Early History

Rector Early History

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Rector research. Another 357 words (26 lines of text) covering the years 1655, 1760, 1665 and 1718 are included under the topic Early Rector History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Rector Early Notables (pre 1700)

Rector Early Notables (pre 1700)

More information is included under the topic Early Rector Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

The Great Migration

The Great Migration

Study of Passenger and Immigration lists has revealed that among early immigrants bearing the Rector surname were:

Rector Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Frederick Charles Rector, aged 30, who landed in Texas in 1829 [2]CITATION[CLOSE]Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)

Ole Rector, who arrived in Arkansas in 1892 [2]CITATION[CLOSE]Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)

Motto

Motto

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Citations

Citations

^ Lowe, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.

^ Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)

Skordas, Guest. Ed. The Early Settlers of Maryland an Index to Names or Immigrants Complied from Records of Land Patents 1633-1680 in the Hall of Records Annapolis, Maryland. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1968. Print.

The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X).

The Rector Family Crest was acquired from the Houseofnames.com archives. The Rector Family Crest was drawn according to heraldic standards based on published blazons. We generally include the oldest published family crest once associated with each surname.